5 Dragon Ball characters who would be useless in a fight (& 5 who can end battles in seconds)

Bulma (left) and Zeno (right) both appear on this list (Image via Sportskeeda)
Bulma (left) and Zeno (right) both appear on this list (Image via Sportskeeda)

Although Dragon Ball is a series about fighting, not every character present in the franchise is an expert fighter. Some of the series' oldest and most-known characters, such as Bulma, have no knowledge of fighting and would be useless in combat.

Even characters who are amateur fighters would likely be little to no help against the superpowered opponents in Dragon Ball Z and beyond.

Simultaneously, there are plenty of characters who can end any fight, no matter how strong the opponent is.

Here are five Dragon Ball characters who would be useless in a fight and five more who can end battles in seconds.

Note: This article solely reflects the opinions of the writer


Bulma and 4 other Dragon Ball characters who would be useless in a fight

1) Hercule Satan

Hercule as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Hercule as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being the current martial arts champion of the Dragon Ball world, Hercule Satan is incredibly useless in a fight. He’s not even strong enough to become a Z Fighter, despite putting on the public persona of being the world’s strongest man.

In reality, every fight he’s been in throughout the series has ended with him running away like a scared, shameless puppy.


2) Chi-Chi

Chi-Chi as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Chi-Chi as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Chi-Chi is an interesting case. She was strong enough to give Goku a good fight during the World Martial Arts Tournament where they matched up in battle. However, she stopped fighting soon after this, despite still being strong enough to eventually train Goten on her own.

Nevertheless, Chi-Chi’s power simply can’t match up to the caliber of the opponents that the Z Fighters face in Dragon Ball Z and beyond. This makes her more of a liability than an asset.


3) Bulma

Bulma as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Bulma as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Bulma has zero combat experience, even as a child during her adventures with a young Goku. Her skill set undoubtedly shines in the laboratory as a scientist and inventor rather than in the field of battle as a combatant.

Despite being a key character in the series and performing many other essential tasks, Bulma is far from useful in a fight.


4) Yamcha

Yamcha as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Yamcha as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Yamcha was once a skilled top-dog fighter in the Dragon Ball world. However, by the time Z starts, he’s clearly incredibly out of his depth.

His first and only major fight in the series is against a Saibamen, which is essentially a growable soldier.

Yamcha loses in quick, spectacular fashion, cementing his legacy as one of the most useless characters in the franchise.


5) Chiaotzu

Chiaotzu as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Chiaotzu as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Chiaotzu could at least contribute to combat situations in a meaningful way in the original Dragon Ball series. However, by the time Z starts, he’s in a similar place to Yamcha.

His main fight in the entire series is against Nappa, where he blows himself up in a valiant attempt to eliminate the bald Saiyan.

However, Nappa unfortunately emerges without a scratch, making Chiaotzu’s only combat contribution in Z a fruitless one.


Zeno and 4 other Dragon Ball characters who can end battles in seconds

1) Beerus

Beerus as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Beerus as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Universe 7’s resident God of Destruction is an incredibly powerful being. The main highlight of Beerus' combat abilities is the Hakai technique, which instantly erases someone from existence.

Obviously, this is one of the most overpowered techniques in all of Dragon Ball, hence its restriction to Gods of Destruction.

With the Hakai ability, a battle can end before it even truly begins.


2) Whis

Whis as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Whis as seen in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Whis is also a deity being of Universe 7, but he doesn’t possess an erasure ability similar to Hakai. What he does have is mastery of the Autonomous Ultra Instinct technique, which can defend and attack against any opponent.

With this technique, Whis can easily overpower his enemies while totally preventing any offensive techniques making contact with him.


3) Zeno

Zeno seen erasing a universe in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Zeno seen erasing a universe in the Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Zeno’s Erasure technique is similar to the Hakai ability used by the Gods of Destruction but on a much bigger scale. He’s been seen using the technique in the series to erase an entire universal timeline, with little to no effort on his part.

Clearly, Zeno has all the tools he needs to end a fight before it begins in the world of Dragon Ball.


4) Jiren

Jiren as seen in the Dragon Ball Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)
Jiren as seen in the Dragon Ball Super anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Jiren is one of the most powerful characters in all of Dragon Ball right now. His bout against Goku throughout the Tournament of Power solidifies his status as an incredibly skilled and strong fighter.

With all this strength and skill at his disposal, there are few who can last more than seconds against a serious, all-out Jiren. As a result, he’s a perfect example of a mortal capable of ending a fight in seconds.


5) Broly

Broly as seen in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly film (Image via Toei Animation)
Broly as seen in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly film (Image via Toei Animation)

Similarly, Broly’s berserker powers solidify his rank as one of the strongest characters in the entire franchise. His Dragon Ball Super appearance showed that he is capable of literally breaking time and space in a fight, a feat that nearly no other character can say they’ve achieved.

With such awesome power that can easily go unchecked, there’s little doubt Broly could end nearly any fight in seconds if he wanted to do so.


Be sure to follow for more anime updates and manga news as 2023 progresses.

This article was modified on Thursday, June 29, at 10:46 pm.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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